Improvement in wood pavements



s. L. SHBLLBNBERGER. Wood-Pavement.

No. 211,430. A Patented Jn. 14,1879.

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N. PETERS, PMOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL L. SHELLENBERGER, OF DENISON, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOOD PAVEMENTs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 211,430, dated January 14, 1879; application filed' November l2, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL LUTHER SHEL- LENBERGER, of Denison, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bois DArc Pavement, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of my improved pavement, parts being removed to show the construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved pavement which shall be strong and durable, not being liable to decay or become uneven, and which may be readily reunited should it become necessary to cut through it.

The invention consists in an improved pavement formed of two courses of planks crossing each other at right angles, a layer of coaltar and sand, and the irregular bois darc blocks set on end and having their interstices packed with sand covered with coal-tar, as hereinafter fully described'. l

In laying my improved pavement the street or other place to be paved is brought to the proper subgrade to receive the paving by excavating and filling.

Upon the true and uniform surface thus .formed are placed two thicknesses or layers of inch planks or boards, A, theplanks of the one course or layer crossing the planks of the other course or layerat right angles, and the two courses being nailed to each other at suit-r able intervals.

The foundation thus formed is well covered with coal-tar, and upon the coal-tar is placed a layer, about an inch thick, of clean sand,

forming a bed, B, for the wooden blocks C.

The blocks C are made of bois darc, are of irregular shape, are sawed into lengths of about six inches, and are set upon their ends with the growth or grain upward.

The blocks C are arranged promiscuously,

or as they happen to come to hand, and the spaces, openings, or lnterstlces that occur between them are filled to or nearly to their tops with sand D well tamped or rammed. Over the sand D is then poured hot coal-tar.

The blocks G are cut from the trunks and branches of the trees with cross cut, circular, or other saws, and the larger blocks are split with an ax into irregular shapes, the smaller ones being left in their natural shape.

This construction of the bois darc blocks allows all the timber to be utilized, which could not be done if the blocks were cut into irregular shape and size,"as the bois ldarc trees are mostly hollow, checked, and crooked, this wood, on account of its""durability, being invaluable for paving purposes.

With this construction the coal-tar upon the foundation A prevents the sand from shifting or moving from under the blocks, and the layer B of coal-tar and sand eifectually prevents an)1 rebound or spring which might occur from any block or blocks receiving a heavy blow. The layer B also allows any blocks that may be a little longer than the others to be sunk a little into the sand of the said layer, so that the tops of all the blocks may form a smooth and uniform surface.

The irregularity of the blocks O forms a broken surface, and gives a better foothold to animals walking upon the pavement, and allows them to be laid quicker and at less eX- pense than when blocks of uniform shape and size are laid in regular rows. Y

I am aware that two layers of boards have been used for a foundation; and that irregular blocks are old for paving purposes; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A wooden pavement consisting of irregular bois darc blocks resting on a layer of sand, placed upon a foundation of boards covered with coal -tar, and having their in terstices packed with sand covered with tar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

SAMUEL LUTHER sHELLENBERGER.

Witnesses:

` A. H. GOEFIN,

J. B. MCDOUGALL. 

